If you’re a business owner who’s done any amount of marketing research, chances are you know the value of an effective social network marketing strategy. These social media networks are literally vast watering holes full of consumers, and if you’re not taking advantage of their accessibility, you’re missing out. Utilizing social media to gain business is probably one of the easiest marketing strategies out there. By making smart choices and sending the right message, you can effectively reach millions of customers on your own, without having to hire professional help. While you’ve most likely heard of these top 4 social media sites, you may not be using them to their fullest extent. So we’ve broken them down to help you boost your business ASAP!
Image by Mario Sundar
This social media giant is the number one choice for business owners who want access to millions of consumers and their wallets. With 845 million active monthly users, Facebook offers plenty of opportunities for businesses to connect to the public. Try adding Facebook connect buttons to your website, use Facebook to connect and interact with your customers and add incentives like coupon postings or special deals on your Facebook page. That’s just a few ways to get started using Facebook for your benefit, and it’s all free.
Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is a professional social media site by design. Rather than building a friend or fan base, you are able to build a network of people who are interested in the exact services or product you are offering. Companies not only use LinkedIn to generate business, but it can be used in the hiring and networking processes as well. By creating a clear, concise description of your company, adding a call to action that will get people excited about your product and promoting your group, you can attract thousands of people to your network that you would otherwise never have reached. Just make sure everything is grammatically correct and extremely professional—LinkedIn isn’t a Facebook replica!
While Twitter is most commonly known for its connectivity to the personal lives of the stars, more businesses are turning to Twitter for marketing purposes. There are so many Twitter business tools available that it can sometimes be overwhelming. However, it isn’t necessary to dive in head-first. By simply creating a Twitter account for your company and connecting with people, you will get your brand out there. Keep your information up-to-date, follow leading individuals in your industry, retweet (retweeting is quoting someone else’s tweet!) useful information and make an effort to be retweetable. Not only will you gain followers, but you will reach new consumers every time someone else retweets your correspondence. With over 500 million users, Twitter can be your business’ best friend.
YouTube
YouTube is often overlooked as a valuable social media marketing website. However, not only do YouTube users watch over 4 billion videos a day, but you can integrate your YouTube videos into your Facebook and Twitter pages. Try posting a few do-it-yourself videos for a simple service your company offers. Not only will viewers appreciate the free advice, but they’re likely to remember your name when it comes time to opening their wallet as well. Let’s say a car part retailer offers free installation videos on YouTube. Not only do they reach a huge viewership, but when it comes time to purchase the car parts, their name is fresh on the minds of their consumers.
Old-school marketing strategies are not exactly a thing of the past. While these old techniques are successful reaching one group of people, online social media sites can span the globe with information on your business. Your brand has the potential to make it into the living rooms of people all across the world. All you have to do it get your name out there!
About the Author: David Skimmer is a business consultant who enjoys web design and is a contributing author for backgroundcheck.org